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Eight-Nation Alliance China expedition commemorative medal
1901
(Full Size, With Case & China Clasp)
八國聯軍 中國遠征紀念獎章 1901
(官方版, 含盒, 附中國銘牌)
Item number: M183
Year: AD 1902
Material: Silver
Size: 82.3 x 29.7 x 1.3mm
Weight: 21.45 g
Provenance: Private Collector, France, 2022
This medal is the China expedition commemorative medal, established in AD 1902, adorned with a “Chine” clasp. It was designed to honour the officers, sailors, and soldiers who served in China during the Boxer Rebellion from AD 1900 to AD 1901. Based on the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, this medal was also awarded to French civilians who participated in the defence of the Beijing legations.
The medal is housed in a leather-lined presentation case with blue velvet lining, and it is a circular silver piece. The obverse featuring a profile portrait of Marianne, the national emblem of the French Republic, wearing a helmet and a laurel wreath, surrounded by the inscription “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE”. Below the portrait, the name of the French sculptor, Georges Lemaire, who designed the medal, is inscribed in small letters.
The reverse shows crossed cannons, an anchor, and flags, also encircled by laurel and oak branches, with a Chinese pagoda in the distant background. Around the edges, the inscription “1900 CHINE 1901” marks the years and location of the Eight-Nation Alliance’s operations.
The suspension ring, connecting the medal to the ribbon, is fashioned into two Chinese dragons, with the ribbon itself alternating in yellow and green, and bearing a “1900 Chine 1901” clasp. The edge of the medal features a “cornucopia” mark, the hallmark of the Paris Mint, with the word “ARGENT” indicating that the object is made of silver.
The actions of the Eight-Nation Alliance were declared as part of the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion, an uprising against foreign powers and Christian missionaries, which triggered a series of violent incidents. France’s participation in this coalition aimed to rescue personnel besieged in the Beijing diplomatic quarter, protect French nationals engaged in missionary, commercial, and diplomatic activities in China, and safeguard France’s economic and political interests in China. As a member of the Eight-Nation Alliance, France deployed approximately 3,500 soldiers to China, including nearly 400 naval personnel and five warships, with the remainder being army personnel. Major General Henri Nicolas Frey was appointed as the commander of the French forces, leading the soldiers in this campaign. However, these soldiers, mostly from Vietnam, lacked sufficient experience and insight.
On September 7, AD 1901, the Qing court was compelled by the Treaty of Xin Chou to allow foreign troops to be stationed in the Beijing embassy district. The treaty, available in both Chinese and French versions, forced the Qing court to pay substantial indemnities to the participating countries. In AD 1925, France requested that these indemnities be used to restore a Sino-French bank.
這枚獎章收納於藍絲絨內襯的皮質收納盒。外型為圓形銀質獎章,獎章的正面為法蘭西共和國的國家象徵「瑪麗安娜」的側面肖像,頭戴頭盔與月桂花環,左右兩側環繞有「 RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE (法蘭西共和國)」的法文字樣。獎章下方有小字刻有設計此獎章的法國雕塑家「 Georges Lemaire 」的名字。